By Any Means Possible
by tiberius1
Summary: What would happen if Crais and Grayza were conspiring at the end of Into the Lion's Den? A look at what might have been happening in Peacekeeper space.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I conceived the basic premise for this story way back at the end of January 2003. I just needed a reason to write it and the latest Terra Firma Challenge provided that reason. It did turn out longer than my other challenge fics, but I think it is as long as it needed to be and could actually have been longer. I'm unsure if I'm adding anything else to this one or not. I do have at least one short story that is part of this timeline.

Many thanks to Farscape Ally and XenaJules for their Farscape transcripts, which made writing certain scenes of this fic a possibility. Also, thanks to notasebacean for finding all those silly little errors I like to make. Remaining ones are all mine.

About Crais here, this is not what I think he did, but the great thing about his character is that he is so grey that you can interpret his behavior many ways and I think this plausible, but I choose to believe he chose a more noble path. ;D

**Disclaimer: **Farscape is not now, nor has it ever been, mine. I am merely borrowing the characters and setting for a little bit of fun and I hope to return them mostly unharmed. :)

**Setting:** "Into the Lions Den: Part 2" through PKW

**Rating:** Adult content for brief sexual situations you get when you have Grayza in a fic, but it's not overly explicit. ;)

**By Any Means Possible**

Chapter 1

Crais sat in his quarters staring at the data chip. It had casually, yet purposefully, been dropped beside him in the officer's lounge. He did not recognize the person who had left it. He could tell from the insignia that it was not a member of this carrier's crew.

Rationalizing that a data chip would not kill him and that there should be no harm in seeing what was on it, he slid it into the computer slot. The computer beeped at him, indicating the chip needed hand print verification. Whoever had wanted him to have this chip wanted to make sure that no one else could view the contents.

As soon has his identification was verified, the video began playing.

"Bialar Crais, I am Commandant Mele-on Grayza. The circumstances under which you were forced from service have been reviewed. I have determined that you were unjustly removed from command by the hybrid Scorpius. He has abused his power for cycles, and his presence is a detriment to our way of life.

"I have reviewed your work on the Leviathan gunships. Your project still has merit, even if Scorpius did not recognize it. I am prepared to offer you amnesty. You would be placed in charge of a Gammak project to perfect those gunships. Scorpius's wormhole research has not turned up anything useful for defeating the Scarrans and his project will be terminated.

"Once the gunship project has succeeded, you will be lauded as a hero of the Sebacean race, completely absolved of any wrong-doing. You have two solar days to reply to my offer. One of my men will contact you when I return to the command carrier."

He stared at the wall, through where the image had been displayed. She was offering him a way back to the Peacekeepers, to the only life he really knew. But did he still want that life? Could he still have that life?

He had already evaluated the problems Talyn was suffering and had solved many of them with Larell's help. He knew she was a spy for Scorpius, but she had still done excellent work, as always. The minor sabotage she had accomplished could quickly be undone. It would be easy to create more gunships. The Leviathan mothers would have to be controlled by a method other than a control collar, but that was a problem he had pondered during his early days on Talyn, and he was certain he had a solution.

Should more gunships be created? He knew from information Talyn had gathered that the Scarrans had the upper hand. Peacekeeper forces were losing ground at an exponentially faster and faster rate. He knew of no other weapons that could be deployed in time. Of course, it would be several cycles before the gunships were ready for large-scale combat. So much time had been lost. Did they have enough time now?

Then there was the added problem of what do about the Moyans. They all felt quite protective toward Talyn. And they all opposed the idea of gunships, even though Talyn had saved them several times. He would have to find a way to leave that would ensure they would not follow him. He would have to make them believe he, and Talyn, had perished.

Convincing Talyn of the necessity of this plan should not be too hard. After all, Talyn was more Peacekeeper than Leviathan. He had been bred to defend the Sebacean race. Encouraging him to live to his potential should not be difficult. And he could be used to help the other Leviathans cooperate, to help calm them as they grew the first generation of gunships.

He decided that the best place to ponder his new plan was in the officer's lounge over a glass or two of raslak.

As he contemplated his future, he was only peripherally aware that Crichton had entered and was trying to talk to Aeryn. She had tried to strike up a conversation when he had returned, quizzing him about how Talyn was doing. He had given her a curt answer, encouraging her to seek someone else for company.

John approached. "Bialar…you look tense. Let's take a little steam in the restorative chamber."

Time had run out. He had to tell them something, start the deception rolling. His plan was not yet fully formed, but he had to put it into motion now.

As he entered the restorative chamber, he saw that Chiana, Jool, the Dominar, and the Luxan were already there. He stood off to the side as John informed everyone of the latest turn of events. It seemed that the human was becoming more desperate to stop Scorpius. He attentively listened, making adjustments to his plan as events warranted. At first they complained about Grayza. If they knew what he was planning, he would never leave this chamber alive. His time was growing short and he wished they would reach the point of this meeting.

He turned his full attention to Crichton as the human seemed to be reaching his conclusion. "We blow up the command carrier."

Crais could hardly believe what he was hearing. This was the perfect opportunity to carry out his plan. He would have to make them think that he had not been contemplating exactly this. He had already come to the conclusion that destroying the command carrier was the only way that he and Talyn would be able to escape while leaving everyone with the impression the two of them had perished. As the others debated the possibility of this endeavor, he did his best to appear as though he were contemplating the difficult task before him.

"Crais. You commanded this ship. Can we destroy it?" John asked.

He waited a moment before replying, as though he were weighing the difficulty of the task. "It's possible. I'll need to see the specs on any modifications Scorpius has made, and any redistribution of power and fuel since I was in command." Looking at the others, he could see that they were playing right into his hand. None of them suspected he had been contemplating doing exactly this. None of them suspected that he and Talyn would have destroyed the command carrier even without this decision.

&&&&&&&&&&&

After the meeting, he decided to board Talyn and inform the gunship of their new plan. He wanted to give Talyn time to get used to the idea of starbursting in a confined space. He approached Talyn but was stopped by the guard, Brenna. This irritated him, as they had let him onboard Talyn alone before. "I'm on my way to the Leviathan hybrid."

"Not anymore, _sir_," Brenna said derivsively.

"The hybrid is dead. There is no reason to deny me access."

"Scorpius's orders are my reason."

Crais scowled and turned away. It didn't matter. Once he told the others of his need to board Talyn, they would help him. And he knew that he could convince Talyn this was the proper course of action.

&&&&&&&&&&&

Shortly after hearing that Crais had been denied entry to Talyn, Larell paid an impromptu visit to his quarters. "I heard that Scorpius has ordered that you not be allowed onboard Talyn." She took a seat on the bed, since he was sitting on the only chair provided in the cramped quarters.

"And you knew about this?"

"Not until I went looking for you there. I am as surprised as you."

Crais chuckled mirthlessly. "I'm not surprised. Scorpius got what he wanted. He knew that I was the only one who could disarm him." He looked away lost in thought, pulling her deeper into his plan.

She rose and approached him before crouching at his feet. "Disarming him was the final step towards his resurrection. Your experience with Talyn... will be invaluable... to making that happen. We must get you back aboard Talyn."

Her behavior had always been so predictable. She was a Peacekeeper, crèche born, and knew nothing of deceit. She might think she did, but he had seen right through her. He sounded despondent as he said, "They'd never let me stay with him."

She stood, placing her hand on his shoulder. "We don't know that," she replied sympathetically.

Was this compassion or was there something more that Scorpius wanted from him? It didn't matter. His plan would override any one of Scorpius's. "Not unless I have something to trade." He knew that would get her attention.

"Do you have something to trade?" she asked hopefully.

"I might." He looked into her eyes, trying to gauge her emotions. "We both know that I must remain with Talyn. In order for the hybrid project to succeed, I…we have to be a part of it."

"I will talk with Lt. Braca. He should be able to get you to see Scorpius."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Crais was sitting in his quarters when Braca entered. "You have something important to tell Scorpius?"

"I do."

"About what?"

"Something very important, but I will only discuss it with Scorpius."

"And how do I know that you aren't wasting his time?"

"Because no matter what happened, I am a Peacekeeper. Scorpius stole my life from me, and I want it back. The information I have will prove my loyalty. While on the run, I have seen the Scarran threat and I know we need a weapon to counter it. You know as well as I that the gunships were designed for just that. I want my project to succeed, to destroy the Scarrans and I need to be a Peacekeeper to do that. I will not be wasting his time."

"And I should believe that after you stole the gunship rather than turn it over last time?" Braca asked dryly.

"At the time, I knew only that I would be court-martialed and executed. Time has passed, and in light of the changed circumstances, it should prove just as easy to arrange my reinstatement."

"I will speak with Scorpius," Braca replied and turned his back and left.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Two arns later, Braca returned with guards. "Scorpius will see you." He nodded his head and the guards closed on Crais, who stood passively.

"Are the restraints necessary?"

Braca smiled smugly. "Of course they are."

Crais followed along, fully realizing he was being restrained to reinforce his subordinate position. But he had a plan, and it didn't matter what they did to him. He watched Braca enter Scorpius's quarters first. After a few microts, the guards shoved him inside.

"You have something for me? " Scorpius asked skeptically.

He knew this was the most dangerous part of his plan. "Yes. A demand."

"Get him out of my... get him out of my sight!" Scorpius growled.

The soldiers attempted to drag a now resisting Crais out of the room while he loudly shouted his 'demands'. "I demand that I suffer no repercussions for any of my actions during exile. I demand assurances that the Leviathan hybrid will be resurrected-- that I will be leader of that project working alongside Lieutenant Larell!" Having heard that Grayza and High Command were losing patience with his wormhole project producing results, he had counted on the success of the hybrid project to pique Scorpius's interest.

"Stop. Let him speak." Scorpius considered his prisoner. "You have something... comparable, I assume."

Crais tried not to sound too smug. "More than comparable." This had been easier than he had dared hope.

Quite surprisingly, Scorpius was candid with him. "Any deal you strike with me may not prove enforceable once Commandant Grayza returns."

He had anticipated this potential problem. "If you delineate my requests in an Executive Order, signed while you are still in command of this vessel, High Command must honor it... No matter what _dishonor_ you may endure."

It did not take Scorpius long to agree. "I accept your terms." After a moment, he continued, "Release him."

Now released, Crais continued with his plan. "Scorpius," he began slowly while crossing the room to stand behind his new 'ally'. "Crichton has no intention of helping you. He has determined that there is only one way to stop you and your experiments with finality." He paused for dramatic effect, as though he was doing something difficult, earning Scorpius's trust. He is conspiring with some of Moya's crew, to destroy... this Command Carrier."

"Which of Moya's crew?"

"The aliens. Aeryn Sun may be irreversibly contaminated, but she does not want harm to come to her former shipmates. She has become far too sentimental for that."

"Is she a danger?"

"No. I believe it possible that she can be reclaimed. Besides, if you wish Crichton's cooperation on any further wormhole research, you will have to keep her safe. Allow me time to inform her, to ensure that she is not with the others."

"Acceptable. I give you a quarter arn."

"There is one more thing."

"My patience is running thin," Scorpius said dryly.

"I only wish to be present when you tell Crichton. I want him to know that I am the one who has brought him down." He needed to remove any doubt from Scorpius's mind that his plan involved the human.

"Very well. Return here after you have finished with Aeryn Sun."

&&&&&&&&&&&&

Crais knew that time was running short. Now that his plan was in motion, he had an arn, two at most. He only wished that he had been able to contact Grayza first. He would program a signal to be sent to her ship when the command carrier destructed. It would never be noticed in the chaos and it would let her know where to look for him. That was just one more item to add to his list of things to do.

Thankfully, he was proficient with the command carrier's internal sensors and he quickly found Aeryn in one of the planetary simulations. "We need to talk," he said. Without another word, he left the simulation.

He knew that she would follow him, and he wasn't disappointed. He took her to the Aurora Chamber. "What did you need to talk about?"

"I have evaluated our options, and the only way to destroy the command carrier is for Talyn to starburst inside the hangar."

"Are you serious? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Very, but there is no other option. I need you to hear me out; I don't have long. I had to convince Scorpius that I am not in league with Crichton. In order to do that, I told him of the plan to blow up the ship. I told him that you were not involved, only the others."

"You what?"

"Please, Aeryn, hear me out. They are being taken to a holding cell. Once Scorpius is sure that Crichton does not trust me, bring him here. I will explain the plan in full. I have reviewed the ship schematics; it is the only option. Trust me, Aeryn. We saw the power of the wormhole, and I know that Scorpius must never have that power."

After staring into his eyes for several microts, she replied, "I'll bring him here."

&&&&&&&&&

Crais waited in the Aurora Chamber for Aeryn and Crichton. He knew that he would have a hard time getting the human to listen after the outburst in the research lab, but that reaction had been exactly what he needed. He needed Scorpius to believe that Crichton despised him. The realization of how the human would inevitably react to the situation, the presumption that of course Crais was selling them out, had hurt him. For his part, he had finally come to understand the human, at least the one who had been on Talyn, but he supposed they were very much the same.

He looked up and saw Aeryn.

"I asked him to meet me here. I…didn't tell him you would be here. He's quite upset with you."

"I believe that is an understatement, but it was very astute of you to not tell him why you wanted to meet here." They both sat in silence on the edge of the Aurora platform.

John entered and asked curtly, "You wanted to see me?"

Aeryn stood quickly, and put herself in between John and Crais. As soon as John saw Crais, he lunged at the traitor, but Aeryn pushed him back. "No. Stop it. It's safe to talk here, and you need to hear this."

John did not agree and shouted, "I need to kick his ass! He sold us out!"

Crais began his explanation, knowing he had to speak quickly to calm the human. "You can't destroy this ship by simply throwing a few switches," he tried to explain rationally.

John wanted nothing to do with rational and was still quite irate. "So you set 'em up," he accused.

Crais tried to explain. "No, Crichton, I did not. I needed the distraction, so that Scorpius would _believe_ that the plot against him had failed. I kept Aeryn safe, because I need her."

John sounded frustrated, "You should come up with a newer line."

Aeryn tried to reason with John. "And you should listen to him, now."

Knowing how important family was to Crichton, he employed that method of winning support. "All that I have cared for have gone. My parents...taken away from me, my brother dead. So now, I live; I plan; I do-- all in the service of my own interests. In that, I believe, I am not unique in the universe."

Losing patience, John said, "Snap this up. I gotta get back. "

He was heartened by the fact that Crichton was listening. Now was the time for him to ensure that Crichton would agree. "Despite all of this, I understand the power of the technology that Scorpius is attempting to harness. I understand the horror that will wash over this galaxy if _anyone_ wields this weapon. And, last of all, I now know that I am the only individual capable of stopping him." Now he definitely had Crichton's undivided attention.

John shifted his gaze from Crais to Aeryn, looking to see what she thought about this speech. When she didn't really react, he said, "Have fun," and then turned to leave.

Aeryn stepped forward, grabbing his wrist to hold him back. He turned and yanked his arm free, clearly unhappy with her behavior. She tried to reason with him. "Listen. We all were on the same team. We _all_ want this ship destroyed."

Crais added emphatically, "And the only way to do that... is with Talyn."

Aeryn continued the explanation, thinking it might have more weight if she gave it. "Crais is proposing that he and Talyn Starburst while still inside the Command Carrier hangar."

"The Carrier will collapse upon itself... outer decks first, central core last," Crais said.

"It will take at least half an arn for the ship to fully implode," Aeryn finished.

John finally realized what they were saying. "Giving the crew time to abandon ship." He still didn't look as though he believed this plan as his gaze shifted from one of them to the other. Finally, turning to Aeryn, he asked, "Tell me... you believe this?"

She didn't sound happy as she challenged him, "Do you have a plan to destroy the ship?"

John replied softly, "Not yet."

She continued, "D'Argo and the others are probably in a holding cell, and I can find them."

Realizing he had no choice, John asked, "Where do we meet up with you and Talyn?"

Crais replied soberly, "You don't." He knew that he could not meet up with them. Not once he returned to his life as a Peacekeeper. He would do what he could to keep them out of Grayza's grasp, though. After all, they had grudgingly accepted him and treated him almost as family. And they had been kind to Talyn. "Starburst in a confined space, where the energy can't dissipate... It will be the hero's death that Talyn deserves."

Again he looked to Aeryn. She was silent, but remained in a defensive stance between the two.

John couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're gonna die?"

He didn't want to dwell on that. He had come to value honesty, but he knew this lie was necessary to keep Moya from searching for Talyn. "I will need a... ah, significant distraction... to keep Scorpius occupied." He turned toward the exit on the far side of the chamber.

John called out, "Crais." Once Crais had reluctantly turned to face him, he glanced at Aeryn before saying, "I'll get you one."

Crais turned and walked out of the chamber. The plan was now fully in motion. Aeryn would help him board Talyn and Crichton would get him the distraction. Now, all that was left was to convince Talyn. Knowing it was their best chance at survival, he didn't think it would be that difficult. Talyn was mostly healed; there were only a few more repairs that needed to be done, work that required Peacekeeper facilities, but they could be seen to later, at facilities where he could oversee the final procedures, and where sabotage was less likely. It was nearly time.

&&&&&&&&&&&

It had pained Crais to say goodbye to Aeryn. A part of him wanted to ask her along; he knew how painful seeing Crichton, this Crichton, was for her. But he knew that she would not want to come. She was no longer a Peacekeeper, no matter what he might want. He wondered if he would ever see her again. He didn't have time to dwell on that, though. He had to quickly reactivate Talyn before Crichton returned.

After restoring Talyn's higher functions, he decided to change into his uniform. He was a Peacekeeper, and it had been wrongly taken from him. If he was wrong about Talyn's ability to survive, well, he was going to die as a Peacekeeper, not some fugitive.

Carrying the portable light, he headed to command. He could hear Talyn starting to wake through the transponder. "Yes, Talyn. I'm here. No need to be afraid," he reassured. He listened to Talyn chirp, asking what was going on. "Talyn...the firing mechanism on your cannon...was taken from you...by the Peacekeepers. The rest...have been captured. And Moya... Moya will soon be enslaved...unless...we do something. Something radical. You and I...together."

Talyn chirped in inquiry. He wanted to know what.

"We will starburst in the carrier. Be calm. You are armored, and that armor will protect you. I have told the others that we will die, but we will not. You are still not entirely well. I have arranged with Commandant Grayza to return to Peacekeeper service. I will head a Gammak project to develop others like you, and to repair you. You and your kind will fulfill your destiny of destroying the Scarrans. You are the only hope the Peacekeepers have. Do you understand?"

Talyn chirped in acceptance.

"I am very proud of you. I know that much of what happened is not your fault, and I will see you repaired. Now, open a comms channel."

He waited until he felt the channel open. Now, he would lay the groundwork for his return. He had to discredit Scorpius. "Scorpius? I am just making my final... good-byes," he said smugly.

"_Where are you, Crais?_" Scorpius asked.

Crais smirked. "I am standing in your heart...and I am about to squeeze. You are the most _repellant_ of creatures, Scorpius. You weren't born into Peacekeepers. You weren't... conscripted against your will. You _chose_ to be one. The last time I left...this ship..._my_ _ship_... I did so under a veil of secrecy. _You _forced that situation. You took away my command. You _stole _my life from me." That should be about all his crew needed to hear. "Well, this time Scorpius... I am not leaving quietly."

Standing in the center of command, he steeled himself for the forces he was about to experience. "Talyn…starburst." He kept his eyes closed as the energy washed through Talyn.

At first, there was nothing out of the ordinary, but once Talyn began to move, he felt pain lance through the gunship. He tried to assess the damage, but the feedback was too great and he passed out.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

When Crais woke, he reached out through the transponder, but found that Talyn was unconscious. Slowly getting to his feet, he ran diagnostics from the console. The most severe damage to Talyn was to the treblin starburst arm, which had been sheared off at the tip. Well, it would take time, but it would grow back. A warrior accepted his injuries bravely.

Assessing himself, he could feel blood trickling down the side of his face, but it didn't appear to be much. He felt weak and sore, but he didn't think anything was broken. Activating the homing frequency he had sent Grayza, he decided to make small repairs and further assess the damage while he waited. He would try to wake Talyn after he had taken steps to disable the pain receptors on the broken arm.

Six arns after he regained consciousness, he received a reply to his homing beacon. Hurrying to command, he replied, "This is Captain Crais, identify yourself."

"Captain,_ this is Commandant Grayza. I have received your message and request permission to board."_

He didn't like the way she said 'Captain', but he had no room to argue. "Permission granted. The Hammond side hangar door is opening." Right now, he had to manually control Talyn's systems, but he was nearly ready to wake his companion. He hurried to the hangar, hoping to arrive in time to cycle the air so that he didn't keep her waiting. It took longer than normal to cycle the atmosphere, but he knew it was due to the starburst damage. When the door opened, he greeted her cordially, "Welcome aboard Talyn, Commandant."

"He is a magnificent ship. I assume the damage was done leaving the command carrier," she asked sardonically.

"It was." He debated providing more information, but decided to wait.

"And you found that absolutely necessary?"

"Unfortunately, yes. It was not my initial intent, but I could see how adamant Scorpius was about not terminating his wormhole research, and I knew that he had no intention of honoring any orders you brought with you."

"Oh?" she asked curiously.

"He is obsessed with wormholes. I can see it. I know the harm that obsession can bring. He would let nothing stand in his way. He already discredited me on false evidence. I believe he would have done something to you to ensure that you did not shut down his project. Destroying that ship was the only way to ensure he project was terminated."

"Be that as it may, your actions allowed the prisoners to escape…again."

"An unfortunately side-effect, but one I felt necessary. That is of minor consequence. You captured them once before; I have not doubt you can do so again." They stared at each other in silence for several microts. "Would you care for a tour?"

"How is the gunship?"

"His starburst arm is damaged, but I estimate it will regenerate quickly, perhaps ten to twenty solar days. The hybrids were designed to heal quickly."

"Except when attacked by retrieval squads," she replied dryly.

"That damage was more severe, and I did not have the proper facilities, nor did Talyn have a full complement of DRDs. Of course, he does not have that now, but other than the arm, the damage is quite minor," he reassured.

"I accept your offer of a tour. If I am going to sponsor this program, I should know something about it, and about the man who will be in charge of it," she smirked at him.

As they walked around the ship, he noticed that she stayed quite close to him. He took her on a short tour: to the center chamber, neural cluster, cannon control area – where he informed her he needed a new firing mechanism – and finally command.

"Quite extraordinary. It really is a synthesis of Peacekeeper and Leviathan technology. And living quarters?"

"Fully grown, he will be capable of carrying five thousand personnel. Right now, it is not

very many, since I have not stressed the development of living quarters. He already has vast empty spaces that only need to be molded according to need."

"When will he be fully grown?"

"His growth has been accelerated. Another cycle, and he should be about as large as he will get. I have been having him concentrate on secondary cannons to augment his main gun."

"This tour has been most informative regarding the gunship, but I have learned little about Bialar Crais." She ran her fingers between her breasts and Crais could not help but watch. "Why don't we retire to your quarters so that I may learn more about you? Surely, they are more comfortable than that austere central chamber."

As she touched his face, he suddenly found that he had a hard time concentrating. "They…are. If you would…follow me?" At first he waited for her to leave first, but then he realized she didn't know where they were going.

When they entered his quarters, her guards waited outside. She gave the room an approving gaze. It was large, tastefully decorated and had a rather luxurious looking bed. She had followed Crais's career with eager anticipation as she had risen through the ranks. Unfortunately, his quest to recover the escaped prisoners had led to his downfall. Now, she intended to see if he was redeemable.

She wandered toward the bed, leaving him to follow, and she knew he would. "This is so much better than the center chamber. Much better, even, than what I have on the transport. You wouldn't believe how uncomfortable the beds are on those."

He moved closer to her, drawn like a moth to a flame. "Indeed I do. You will find that my quarters are quite…comfortable." He leaned closer to her. "What did you want to know about me?"

It was all so easy. Having the heppel gland implanted had definitely been an excellent idea. "I have read your record, but I have found that records do not convey the essence of the man." She brushed her hand against his cheek. "You are a brilliant tactician and obviously quite passionate, but I wonder where your passions lie? Obviously, this ship."

"Among other things," he replied as he reached out to caress her.

"It must have been quite lonely for you. All alone on this ship," she purred. Yes, she could definitely use him to her advantage. His gunship project was the future of the Sebacean race. The only setback was the fact it would take several cycles to have an effective fleet. She would have to find a way to stall the Scarran advance for as long as needed. If she could keep this project secret, which should be quite easy for her, she could lure them into a truce, which would give the Peacekeepers the time they needed.

"It was very lonely," he whispered as he leaned closer to her, trying to steal a kiss.

Normally, she would have pushed her latest victim away, but it had been some time since she'd had a recreation partner. Like all men, he was more than willing, but there was an intensity about him that she normally didn't find amongst Peacekeepers. She allowed him the kiss and did not protest when he deepened it.

Soon, she was lying on her back and his hand was fondling her breast. He had a firm touch and she let a small moan of genuine pleasure escape her lips.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

He had never intended to do anything other than form an alliance with Grayza, but once they were alone in his quarters, he was reminded that she was a rather attractive Sebacean female, and that he had been alone for far too long. He had recreated with his superiors before in his quest to move upward within the ranks, but he had never felt this strong a physical urge.

Now that she was lying on his bed, the throbbing in his groin was almost more than he could stand. Her skin was incredibly soft and smooth. After fondling her breast, he worked to get her out of her clothes, feeling somewhat clumsy, but not caring.

She unfastened his jacket, letting him rise to his knees long enough to shrug the jacket off and peel off his undershirt. While he was doing that, she finished unfastening her jacket. He pulled her up to him, peeling off her jacket, throwing it to the floor. After ravishing her mouth with a hungry kiss, he lowered her back to the bed and admired her. Inexplicably drawn to her breasts, he leaned down to tease one with his tongue. As he licked the inside of her breast, he tasted something sweet and musky and his entire body quivered. He needed more.

She moaned, "Yes," as he mouthed her breasts.

The tightness in his trousers was made more unbearable when she reached down to stroke him. His eyes rolled back in his head. He thought he was going to explode. "Wait," he growled, not wanting to embarrass himself. Any attempt to think of anything to increase his longevity failed. All he could think of was plunging himself into her.

He was quite clumsy as he fumbled with his boots and trousers. When he was finished, he looked at her in eager anticipation, which he noticed she mirrored. It took him a few tries to unfasten her trousers and then he slowly stripped them off. He moved to cover her body with his own. He was about to enter her when she picked up his hand and placed it between her legs. After teasing her for a few microts, he finally entered her. Following his first thrust, he paused, relishing the feel of the woman beneath him.

When she grabbed at him and motioned for him to continue, he obliged. At first, he thrust slowly, trying to prolong the experience, but he found her intoxicating, fueling his arousal. Nibbling at her neck, he thrust more vigorously, hoping that he would not disappoint her.

She wrapped her legs around him, encouraging him to thrust more deeply. Her breathing was coming in heavy pants.

He had no idea if she was near release. He no longer cared. Plunging as deeply as he could, he felt a shudder rack his body as his orgasm washed through him. Completely exhausted, he pulled free of her and collapsed beside her.

She ran her fingers seductively between her breasts. "Bialar… That was a rather quick finish."

"I apologize, it has been so long."

"You would leave me unsatisfied?" she asked with disapproval.

"After I rest a little while," he started, but lost his train of thought when she brushed his lips with her fingers.

She then trailed her hand down his body, finally stopping as she rubbed his member. "I think you've had enough rest. After all, you don't want to disappoint me, do you?" She straddled him and lowered herself over his now erect member.

He wasn't exactly sure what was happening, but it felt good. Reaching out, he fondled her body, eager to please her.

She rocked in a slow steady manner, positioning herself to satisfy her needs. He was once again painfully hard, but her motion was doing nothing to relieve his needs. "Mele-on,' he whispered, but she ignored his plea.

After what seemed like an eternity, she increased her pace. He grabbed her hips and pushed himself up at her. Finally, he felt her clenching him with her inner muscles, and he felt his orgasm follow quickly.

She leaned down and purred, "That was much better." She then rose from the bed and started dressing. Taking a data chip out of her pocket, she said, "Here is a list of available researchers. Choose your team and use the coded frequency to inform me. I will then tell you where your Gammak project will be based."

He watched her put the data chip on the table beside the bed. He knew that he should get up and start going through the personnel files, but he was utterly exhausted. Once he was rested, he would finish waking Talyn.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Talyn had been surprisingly calm when Crais had woken him two days ago. For now, the gunship was quiet, concentrating on both repairing the starburst arm and growing his side cannons. Crais thought it was a measure of how single-minded the Peacekeepers were that they had not noticed the development. He was going back through the records Grayza had left him, making his final selections. Since he'd had time to think about the project, he had already made a list of supplies that he would need to restart the project. He would transmit both to Grayza later today.

Do you trust her? Talyn asked.

Crais considered this question for a few microts. "As much as I trust any Peacekeeper. She realizes how important the gunships are to defeating the Scarrans, and I believe she has the patience to see the project through to the end now that I know how to succeed." The only thing left for him to do was to test his method of Leviathan control.

She is manipulative.

He wondered how Talyn knew that. "Of course she is, but I am using her for my own personal gain, as well."

And you want to be a Peacekeeper again? You did tell the others you were no longer a Peacekeeper.

"It is all I know. Do you really want to return to the solitary life we had? A life on the run, hunted?" He sighed. "I am tired of that life. And I cannot turn my back on the Sebacean people. I cannot let the Scarrans destroy my people, or your kind. We don't have a choice, we are what we were bred to be."

Talyn said nothing else and let Crais continue his work. It did not take long for Crais to finish his selections and send the information to Grayza. He was not expecting a reply until she had secured a suitable facility for his research.

After transmitting the messages, he contemplated his behavior while she had been onboard. True, it had been a long time since he had been with a woman. There had been the occasional Sebacean whore, but those had been very infrequent. And it wasn't as though she was unattractive; she was actually quite striking. But there was still something that bothered him. He had behaved in a most uncharacteristic manner.

He tried to recall if she had done anything to him. She couldn't have drugged him since they had not had any form of refreshment. There had to have been something that would have muddled his thoughts so.

"Are you up to running a chemical analysis?"

Yes. On what?

"My uniform. I want to ensure that Grayza is not doing anything untoward." There was no guarantee that he would find anything, but he wanted to rule everything out that he could.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Grayza was reviewing reports when Braca entered her quarters. "Ma'am? You asked to be notified when we arrived at the designated coordinates."

"Thank you, Captain. I will meet you on the bridge shortly."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied officiously and quickly departed her quarters.

She grinned mischievously as she thought of Braca. He was the perfect adjutant. He was especially susceptible to her powers and would never question her. It had been quite easy for her to fulfill Crais's requests. Surprisingly, he had only requested one Leviathan for the initial stage of the project. She would have to ask him about this. She wanted dozens of gunships, and that would require dozens of Leviathans.

Entering the bridge, she asked, "What do scans show?"

"Standard energy emissions from a Peacekeeper outpost."

"Are there any ships?" Crais had indicated that he would be here, that was why she had diverted her attention from her search for Crichton.

"Nothing shows up on scans. Are you expecting someone to meet us here?"

She didn't answer, but she moved to the scanning console. He might already be here, but was just evading their scans. After all, he seemed to think quite highly of his gunship. She thought she saw something on the display, but it was only a minor distortion. "Are you sure, Captain?" she asked coyly.

Braca moved over to the console and started tweaking the settings. His eyes widened in surprise as the readings resolved. "Prepare main battery," he ordered.

"Stand down, Captain," she countermanded.

"But, Commandant, that is the gunship that destroyed one of our command carriers."

"I am well aware of what it is. Captain Crais is the reason that we are here. Prepare a shuttle to take me to the outpost." For a moment, Braca looked as though he would argue with her, but he finally seemed to realize that he was the subordinate and that her orders were not to be questioned.

"Yes, ma'am."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

As soon as Crais let them detect Talyn and determined they were not going to fire on him, he guided the gunship into the landing bay. "Now, I will finally be granted the opportunity to complete your repairs."

As he debarked, he as met by the tech he had selected as his second in command. "Welcome, Captain Crais. I am Lieutenant Dekan. We have all the large equipment in place, though it is still being interconnected. Commandant Grayza is on her way and will be here shortly."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Once the Commandant is gone, you will give me a full tour of the facility with status reports."

"Yes, sir. If you will follow me to the personnel hangar, we can wait for her arrival."

By the time they arrived at the smaller hangar, Crais could hear the air cycling. He knew that his uniform had seen better days and that was one of the first things he intended to take care of. As she walked through the door, he announced, "Commandant Grayza, welcome to the Leviathan Hybrid Project." He couldn't keep the smug smile off his face as he saw the look of disdain Braca gave him, though the smile did shrink slightly when he noticed that his former lieutenant now wore captain's bars.

"I notice that the hybrid appears to be healed." She looked around and saw the scurrying of techs as they moved equipment from the staging areas into the depths of the complex.

"Talyn is once again fully functional, aside from the main cannon firing mechanism. There are still some minor repairs to be accomplished, but nothing that affects his functionality." It wasn't quite the truth; there were still some instabilities in his personality matrix, but he now knew how to correct them with the proper tools.

"Captain Braca, you will wait here for me. I will not be long." Focusing on Crais, she said, "I will speak with you privately about your orders."

"Of course. Lt. Dekan will lead the way." Before he followed Grayza out of the receiving area, he flashed Braca a very smug grin.

"Is this facility to your satisfaction?" she asked as she looked at the hollowed out rock walls.

"From what I saw in my scans, it is. The main hangar is large enough to dock immature gunships."

"Your quarters, Captain," Dekan said as he activated a door control.

Crais briefly glanced around and saw that they were outfitted with standard Peacekeeper furnishings for one of his status.

Once the door closed, Grayza asked, "I know I made it clear how important this project is. Is there a reason that you have only asked for one Leviathan?"

"A collared Leviathan cannot bear a gunship offspring to term. I have only asked for one so that I can test an alternate control theory that I have. Once I have confirmed the results of my research to date regarding alternate means of Leviathan control, I will ask for others to impregnate."

As she moved closer to him, he noticed that she was running her fingers between her breasts. It looked as though he would have the opportunity to test his theory. "And how long do you expect this to take?" she asked softly.

"No more than thirty days."

She reached up to touch his face. "I think that you can do better."

He found himself involuntarily inhaling deeply. As his body reacted to the pheromones of the heppel oil, he could feel Talyn helping to regulate the reaction. His mind fogged, but he could still hold onto thoughts. Of course, it wouldn't do for her to know that he could resist her. He leaned closer to her and whispered into her ear, "If my theory is correct, it would take much less time."

"You don't want to disappoint me, do you?"

"Never," he replied as he leaned in to nibble at her neck. He was not doing this merely because she expected it. What he remembered of their last encounter had been quite pleasant, and he didn't mind the prospect of experiencing that again.

"My time is limited, Captain," she said as she pushed him away.

Not about to be deterred, he slid behind her and cupped her breasts. "Surely you have enough time for some quick recreation? I know how lonely command is. It might clear your mind." If he could gain this one small victory over her, it would give him an advantage, even if she didn't realize it.

She seemed to be considering his offer. "Command is lonely, isn't it?" she replied as she turned to face him.

"Very." He leaned down and captured her mouth in his for a passionate kiss. Even though he had control of his faculties, the oil still aroused him.

As they kissed, she pushed him backwards toward the bed. Determined to keep the upper hand, he spun her around so that she was on her back. This time he was much more adept at removing her trousers. Now that he had control over his actions, he slipped his fingers inside her, bringing her close to orgasm since he knew that the oil would affect his longevity. As she writhed under his touch, he removed his fingers and lowered his trousers. Before thrusting into her, he whispered, "I will not disappoint you."

This time, he was careful to bring her to orgasm before allowing himself to follow. If she wanted to use sex as a weapon, he was more than happy to do the same. When he finished, he could tell that she was rather confused. "Perhaps next time you can arrange for a longer inspection?"

She shoved him aside and rose to adjust her uniform. "I will require periodic reports. Due to the nature of this project, I don't believe that transmitted reports will be safe."

"I will make my reports in person."

"I expect the first report once you have solved the Leviathan control problem." She turned and walked out of the room.

He couldn't stop the broad grin that spread across his face. As he pulled his trousers up, he said, Thank you, Talyn.

I would not have her control you. Now, you control her?

Not exactly, but I have an advantage over her. Walking over to his desk, he commed for Dekan.

"Yes, Captain?"

"We will conduct our tour of the facilities now."

"Yes, sir."

Crais followed Dekan and listened intently. Half of the labs were already set up. The rest would be finished in the next few days.

"Do you have any orders?" Dekan asked.

"There are some repairs to be conducted on Talyn. I have outlined them here." He handed a data chip to Dekan. "Including the installation of the firing mechanism."

"Yes, sir. We have the replacement standing by. I can have a team installing it in an arn."

"Excellent. I will also require new uniforms. Finally, I will meet with the research department heads in one arn."

"Yes, sir." Dekan clicked his heels and departed to carry out his captain's orders.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

As Grayza sat in the transport on the way back to her command carrier, she tried to make sense of what had happened. She knew that the heppel oil was a powerful aphrodisiac for males, but she had always been able to bend them to her will with the promise of fulfilled desires. She had always chosen when she would fulfill those desires, but not today. Could Crais possibly react that strongly to the heppel oil?

"Commandant, are you sure you can trust him?" Braca asked. "After all, he has abandoned the Peacekeepers once, turned his back on everything he knew."

She was irritated that he had disturbed her. "What? Yes, he is perfectly trustworthy. Do you doubt my judgment?" she asked sharply.

"No, ma'am. I just know that he has deceived Scorpius on at least two occasions…"

She interrupted, "For good reason. Scorpius is a dishonest half-breed. Surely you saw that while you served him. He may have claimed that all he did was in the service of Peacekeepers, but you must have seen numerous example of his selfishness. Do you really think he was that trustworthy? You have seen what the Aurora Chair has extracted from his mind."

Braca said nothing more, and she returned to her thoughts. She would have to be careful around Crais. But what did it really matter? He was strong, powerful. He was also young, having moved through the ranks quickly. His quest for greatness had been side-tracked once, but he seemed quite sincere about his desire to develop the gunships for the Peacekeepers.

So what if she recreated with him? It was not as though it hurt anything. Peacekeepers were raised to use recreation to reduce tension. And she was willing to admit that he was quite an excellent partner. What difference would it make if it was the promise of sex or sex itself that she used to control him. She had to admit that this way was much more satisfying.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Crais grinned triumphantly as he stared at the report. It had taken only minor modifications to his theory to gain control over a Leviathan. Their initial subject, Kaya, had been successfully impregnated. With Talyn's personality matrix stabilized, he had helped calm both Kaya and her pilot.

As he set the report down, he found it odd that he was thinking of the Leviathan by her name. He had never before seen any of the others as sentient beings, but his opinion had been changed. He insisted that she be treated with respect and efforts made to spare her pain.

Dekan entered his quarters. "You wished to see me, sir?"

"Yes. You will be in charge for a few days. Talyn and I will be leaving to make a report to Commandant Grayza and to request additional Leviathans. Prepare catalyst and control boxes for at least a dozen Leviathans."

"Yes, sir. We'll have it arranged. Are there any other orders?"

"That is all." Once Dekan was gone, he picked up his bag and made his way to the hangar so that he could take a transport pod to Talyn. When he arrived on Talyn, he said, "Seek the transponder code for Grayza's carrier and prepare for starburst."

Kaya will be safe without me here, won't she?

"She will. They will take care of her. Don't worry." He had no idea how long it would take to find Grayza, but he was looking forward to meeting with her again. He would continue to prove himself trustworthy. When the Hybrid project was revealed, he needed to ensure that she would give him the credit he was due.

During the transit to Grayza's carrier, he reviewed the data gathered so far on the catalyst, trying to determine if there were improvements he could make. First of all, to determine if there was a way to alter the hybrid enough that birth would be easier than Talyn's had been. Secondly, he wanted to evaluate the possibility of speeding up the maturation process. Given his experience with Talyn, he knew that they would need at least two years to properly educate the hybrids. He had initially thought that giving a hybrid knowledge would be like programming a computer, but now he knew that was an incorrect assumption.

Talyn interrupted his thoughts. I have found the command carrier. We will be there in an arn.

"Thank you, Talyn." Crais commed Grayza on the coded frequency he had been given and notified her of his impending arrival. He then reviewed the reports one last time. He didn't like the idea that his name was not mentioned, but he knew that it had be this way for now. Once he had achieved a better measure of success, he would ensure that his involvement was made known to High Command. For delivering a fleet of gunships, they would quite easily forgive him his old indiscretion. And with Scorpius already discredited, his departure from the Peacekeepers could quite easily be explained.

When he landed on the carrier, Braca met him. Deciding Braca was beneath his attention, he said nothing.

As they walked toward Grayza's quarters, Braca said, "I'm surprised you don't have a snide comment about my promotion."

"Why should I? I have already told you what I thought about you as an officer."

Braca stopped him. "You think you are so smart making this pact, don't you? You lied to us, destroyed a valuable asset. Don't think I'll forget that. I'm watching you."

Crais smiled smugly. "As you should. You could learn a lot from my example. More than last time." He turned and walked ahead, knowing exactly where he was going.

They entered Grayza's quarters, Crais first, and he noticed that she did not look pleased.

"Leave us," she snapped at Braca.

Once they were alone, she said, "I assume this means that you have good news."

"Very good news. The first Leviathan is controlled and impregnated. In roughly half a cycle, she will give birth to the first of the new gunships."

"At least something has gone right today," she muttered, clearly frustrated.

Crais saw this as an opening. "Would you like to talk about it? You can count on my discretion." He moved closer to her and gently brushed her arm.

She seemed to consider his offer. "Why don't you tell me what other progress you are making on the hybrid project."

"There's not much else to report, yet. Talyn's matrix has been completely repaired and his main cannon is again fully operational. In another thirty days or so, his auxiliary cannons will be functional, too. He is also beginning to grow combat pods."

"Combat pods?" she asked curiously.

He pulled a datachip out of his pocket and placed it on her desk. "It's all there. They are a cross between a bomber and a Prowler. He is only growing four at the moment. We plan to test them as they may require some modifications. Once we have perfected the design, he will be able to teach the other gunships how to grow them."

Her expression had perked up. "How long will it take to grow them?"

"Approximately a quarter cycle."

"Is there any way to speed that up?"

"No. It is comparable to the time it takes a Leviathan to grow a new transport pod. The more complex the system, the longer it takes. Though, there is a possibility that some time could be saved once Talyn has a full complement of DRDs again." He moved closer to her. "You look tense," he said softly. "You should be rejoicing that the hybrid project is progressing well."

"You have done an excellent job, but I do not need to confide in you."

"If not me, than whom? I know how difficult life this far on the edge of our territory can be." He let his hand trail down her arm and to her waist.

She shoved him away, though not as forcefully as she could have. "You forget who is in charge, _Captain_!"

He changed his stance to become more deferential. "Not at all, Commandant. I merely wish to make our partnership as…productive as possible."

"Productive for whom?" she asked as she took a step closer to him.

"For us both." He hoped that he didn't look too eager as he watched her trail her fingers through the heppel oil.

"You need me. I don't need you. Your project is an indulgence that will take four cycles to reach fruition."

He inhaled deeply, relishing the aphrodisiac properties of the oil, not that he hadn't already been aroused. "I am working on reducing the amount of time necessary. I think I can get it under three." Grasping her hand, he suckled her fingers. Talyn's assistance allowed him to control his faculties, but he was still a man with needs.

"Three cycles?" she asked.

"I can work quickly when required, though I generally prefer to take my time," he hinted. "I do not need to immediately return to the Gammak base." He leaned down to nibble at her neck. What he really wanted was to take her across the room to the bed and see how much the heppel gland affected her taste, but he knew that he must remain somewhat subordinate, lest she become too suspicious.

"Can you?" she asked seductively as she once again brushed him with heppel oil.

Pulling her tightly against him, he let knew know what he desired. "Absolutely."

She led him to the bed, unfastening his jacket at the same time. She pushed it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

Exercising self-control, he slowly removed her clothes, caressing her body as he did so. He knew that it was vital that he please her. He needed her to want him as much as he wanted her.

Once they were both undressed, he positioned her on the bed so that he could taste her, tease her with his tongue. He soon had her writhing in pleasure, her hands clutching the sheets beneath her. He continued to tease her until she came. Without giving her time to recover, he plunged into her, intent on bringing her to orgasm again.

In her state of ecstasy, she as much more vocal than any of the partners he had had in the past. He was thankful for this as it gave him cues regarding how to please her. With Talyn's assistance, he was able to hold his release at bay until she was ready. Then, all it took was him nuzzling against her chest, using the heppel oil to his advantage.

She had wrapped her legs around him and was trying to pull him deeper inside. He pounded into her, faster and faster. After he had satisfied his urges, he captured her mouth for a passionate kiss. He then collapsed on the bed next her, wrapping his arm protectively around her.

As she lounged against him, she trailed her finger across his chest. "You are different from the others," she softly.

"Different?" he asked innocently, hoping that she did not suspect anything.

"Are you attracted to me?" she asked coyly.

"You are very beautiful and alluring. And you are a much better recreational partner than I have had in many cycles."

"A Peacekeeper answer. You are a conscript, surely you know more than the standard answer," she teased.

"What is to be served by that?"

"I know you have ambitions, ones that transcend your project. Do you see me as a way to further those ambitions?"

"Wouldn't you be disappointed if I didn't? I think we have much to offer each other." He was thankful that Talyn allowed him to think clearly.

"Indeed I would." She rested her head on his shoulder.

He could tell that she was clearly not through with him, and he wondered when he would be able to leave. But it didn't really matter. His plan was working perfectly. She was growing to trust him. He drifted off to sleep, waiting for her to wake him.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

After a long day of heppel oil fueled recreation, he was finally allowed to leave. He was utterly exhausted, having lost count of the number of times she'd had her way with him. At one point, Braca had come by her quarters and she had curtly sent him away. However, he was able to learn that they were still searching for the Moyans. A part of him wondered why she didn't ask for his advice, since he had consorted with them.

As he dressed, he said, "I will report once the other Leviathans have been successfully impregnated."

"And it will take half a cycle for the offspring to be born?"

"Approximately. I plan to use the first Leviathans to test for a way to speed up gestation. I have Leviathan experts investigating how Leviathans produce energy to see if we can provide them with a more efficient food source."

"Excellent. Keep me informed of any important developments, Bialar."

"Of course."

When he arrived on Talyn, he directed the gunship to take them back to the base before he collapsed on his bed. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought that this was one of the most pleasurable ways he had used anyone.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Over the course of the next half cycle, Crais would report to Grayza every twenty to thirty days, even if there wasn't anything of substance to report. While he was on her ship, she would confide in him. She had even begun to ask advice on tracking Leviathans. He could be of little use in that respect. After all, he had been unable to successful track and capture them himself. He would not have helped her in this regard anyway. He did tell her how resourceful the Moyans could be, and how odd it seemed to him that such an odd assortment of disparate beings could work together.

She had passed on his reports, and was now giving him credit for his research. He had been asked to send a deposition to High Command explaining his behavior. The fact that Scorpius had been the one who had removed him from command and led to his temporary defection had helped to mitigate circumstances. Especially when he claimed he was trying to protect the hybrid Leviathan project since it was proving to be so successful. There had been hints that if the project was successful, he could expect a promotion.

Now that it was nearly time for the birth of the first hybrid, he was quite anxious. Kaya was being monitored closely. She and her pilot had been very cooperative, and Crais had to give a lot of credit to Talyn.

Dekan entered his quarters. "Captain, I have a message."

"Is Kaya in labor?"

"No, sir." Dekan handed a report to his captain and walked out of the room.

Crais read through the report and was shocked by what he saw. Grayza had been removed from command. Braca had declared her a traitor. Dropping the report to his desk, he leaned back in his chair and tried to determine his next course of action. He could easily prove that Braca had overstepped his bounds.

He pondered his choices. His name was well enough known at High Command, and his project was about to achieve a major milestone, that he no longer needed her assistance. There were stories about officers who had supported a colleague who had run afoul of the rules and had gone down as well. On the other hand, he knew the power she wielded with the heppel gland. If he did not support her and she was later acquitted of wrongdoing, it would not reflect favorably upon him.

What are you going to do? asked Talyn.

I have not yet decided. This will require considerable thought. Unfortunately, he had to make his decision soon.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Grayza paced her cell, considering her options. When she had heard that not only was Scorpius alive, but onboard _her_ ship, she had been livid. The guards had sedated her. She realized that Braca was in league with the half-breed, and had been all along. She had to find a way to prove that they were both traitors.

As soon as they returned to Peacekeeper territory, there would be a full investigation and she had no doubt that she would be acquitted of any wrongdoing. After all, she had powerful connections, something that Braca could not say. And he had made a serious mistake allying himself with the half-breed again.

"It's time," announced a very smug Braca. "You will pay for what you have done."

"How little you know about what has really been happening. Do you think I've been telling you everything?"

"I don't have time to listen to your lies. You can share them with High Command."

"I will share the _truth_ with High Command. You have made a serious mistake," she replied smugly. The guards moved in to fasten restraints on her wrists. "These will not be necessary. I will go peacefully."

"I'm sure you are familiar with General Order Seventeen, section four, paragraph akan regarding prisoner transfers. Take her away."

She scowled at him as the guards led her past him. She would not forget his treachery. The Scarran forces had been in such disarray at Katratzi that they would not have noticed Peacekeeper forces attacking. Instead, Braca had been a fool and had prevented the attacking, choosing instead to retreat.

When she arrived at the base for her trial, she noticed there was a large crowd assembled. She held her head high as they led her through the crowd. After all, she had done nothing wrong; Braca was nothing more than a fool. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Crais. Was knowledge of her arrest that widespread, or had Braca gloated to his former captain? She suspected it was the latter.

Due to her status, she was not taken to a holding cell, but directly to Grand Chancellor Maryk's office.

"What are you doing restrained?" he asked.

"Captain Braca has been quite overzealous, Chancellor," she replied simply.

"Remove the restraints and leave us," he ordered.

The guards hesitated for only a microt before doing as the Chancellor ordered and quickly retreating.

He crossed the room and rubbed her wrists. "I received his report on why you were arrested, but it didn't seem to make sense to me."

She smiled wryly. "Of course the situation didn't make sense to Braca. He was not important enough to know the entire plan." Touching him casually on his face, she started to bring him under her control with an application of heppel oil.

"And you did not succeed?"

"He interfered. And not just by failing to press our advantage and attacking. Fortunately, the Scarrans did not get the wormhole information from Crichton, either. For now, we are at an impasse. Unfortunately, tensions will now be high, even though there is still officially a truce. Had we pressed our advantage and attacked, we could have prevented survivors from leaving Katratzi."

"How very unfortunate," he whispered as he leaned closer to her.

She let him nuzzle against her neck. It was so easy to control him, but she was not at all attracted to him. He was merely a means to an end, and she had been manipulating him for cycles, even guiding him to his current position. "It is. We will need to be cautious, keep an eye on the Scarrans. You will need to keep me close. I understand them as no one else does."

"Yes, you have a great deal of experience with them, don't you?" He started to grope her. "It may be difficult to ignore recent events though, given the failure of your expedition to produce anything."

He was showing resistance, something she had not expected. Obviously, his advisors had already discussed her case with him and told him that he had to move cautiously to keep the integrity of his office in tact. Plying him with more heppel oil, she said, "I have been considering something. It has been quite a few cycles since I was on the breeding roster. This would be the perfect time for me to contribute to the gene pool again, especially since I think I have found the perfect partner." Little did Maryk realize that she was not referring to him.

"Do you?"

She was pleased that he sounded sentimental. "I do. I can easily arrange with the med techs to have a pregnancy established."

"Once we have cleared your name. We will hold the hearing tomorrow. I have reviewed the evidence. Nothing there condemns you of any wrongdoing."

"As I suspected." She ran her hands along his body. "Once this is over, we will put this plan into motion. Now, have you arranged quarters for me? I fear that I have not rested much the last several days."

"Of course." Maryk straightened his uniform and called for his adjutant to escort her to quarters.

Grayza smiled triumphantly once she was alone. As she had expected, Maryk had rather quickly taken her side. After all, who was Braca? Nobody. She had brokered a truce with the Scarrans and restarted the hybrid Leviathan project. Braca was choosing to align himself with the infernal half-breed and would pay for his duplicity. He was far too easily manipulated and she would ensure that he would be placed in a position where he could do no further damage once she reasserted her control.

It was late in the sleep cycle when she heard her door open. She was instantly on alert.

"Mele-on, it's me," came a deep baritone from the darkness.

"Bialar? What are you doing here?"

"Your guard had…business elsewhere, and I wanted to see you. How are you?"

"Braca told you?"

He settled on the bed next to her. "He did. I came here to make my report to the Grand Chancellor…and to see if you needed assistance."

She leaned closer to him, touched by his concern. "That is very thoughtful but unnecessary. I have explained the situation to the Chancellor and there will be a hearing tomorrow."

"That's excellent news."

She wavered on whether or not to tell him about her plan. The fact that he had come to her persuaded her that she should. Though she would not tell him the entire truth. "One of the conditions of my release will be that I am placed on the breeding roster. My status affords me some privileges, as does his…"

Crais pulled back, momentarily shocked. "So, he intends to use you."

"That is what he intends, not what _I_ intend. Once I am pardoned, I will convince him to let me inspect the hybrid project one last time. After all, the birth of the first offspring is imminent, is it not?"

"It is."

She placed her hand on his cheek. "Once there, we will create our own offspring, though I will let him believe it is his. He will keep me close and I will find my opportunity. He is too weak to lead our people to victory over the Scarrans."

Crais could not hold back the sly grin. "That is an excellent plan. I will eagerly await your arrival. I am afraid I cannot stay long lest I be discovered." After kissing her deeply, he slipped back out of her room.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

As Crais walked back to Talyn, he couldn't hold back the euphoric feeling. He had long known that Maryk was not worthy to lead the Peacekeepers, but he had never been able to devise a way to get rid of the man. He just couldn't get close enough. Now, Grayza was willing, even eager, to do it for him. And the best part was that she thought she was doing it to advance her career. She was convinced that she still had him under her control.

He would let her believe that until the very end. He was sure that he had fathered several children, but he had never been allowed to know any of them. That was about to change. She would bear him a child. His euphoria dipped as he wondered what the heppel oil might do to the child. Well, he would learn the answer to that soon enough.

As long as she proved useful, and listened to his advice, he would keep her close. After all, her heppel oil had many uses. She could keep the Council in check. With her help, he would become the first conscript to rise to Grand Chancellor.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that's all for now, folks. I do have something that could be considered filler fic for this one that I'm working on. It will be a Talyn POV story that is more of a companion piece to this one. :) Look for "Coming of Age", which will also be posted here, at least the first chapter if I decide to make this more than one chapter. 


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